Former speaker owes Ghana over $300,000

An inventory of the items suspected to have been taken away by the former Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi-Hughes, when he vacated his government approved residence has revealed an interim loss of close to 4 billion old cedis or an esimated over $300, 000 to the state.

The document, made available to Citi News, indicates that the cost is minus some items yet to be costed including beds and mattresses purchased for the residency and rooms and imported items icluding furniture, hand-wooven carpets and rugs

Citi News sources in Parliament reveal that a generator that was taken away by the former Speaker has, however, been returned.

Members of the Minority have remained mute over the matter declining comment.

Indications are that the former speaker may be surcharged the cost of those items missing from the official residence of a Speaker of Parliament.

Household items, electrical appliances, carpets, generator, flower pots and pillow cases are all said to be missing. No clear reasons have been adduced by the former speaker to justify the absence of the missing items.

Meanwhile, a former Member of Parliament and former Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Sellas Mensah, says if it is established that the Former Speaker of Parliament took away all furnishings from the official residence, then he will have committed “fraud at its highest level.”

He says the former Speaker can be convicted if found guilty.

Speaking exclusively to Citi News, Hon Selas Mensah adds that it will be unpardonable if the former Speaker says he was unaware of the items being taken away.

“Common sense should even tell us that if you are an official government appointee, those things are for your residence. Its not meant for you to carry away.”

He noted that the action of the former Speaker's action was unfortunate and can be attributed to an “ill motive” harbored on the part of Mr. Sekyi Hughes.

“If he had consulted the Parliamentary Service that 'I am leaving office and I want to take these things away”, they would have advised him properly. You don't assume that these things belong to you”, he added.

By: citifmonline